Building frame



Aug. 23, 1932. M S 1,873,264

BUILDING FRAME Filed April 50, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l m 2g .Zklgatl M 4 26 LO C) *0 C) (2 A. F. BEMIS BUILDING FRAMEL Filed April 30, 1929 Aug. 23, 1932.

5 Sheets-Sheet I v I \L my fiw. 55 W A. F. BEMIS BUILDING FRAME Aug. 23, 1932.

Filed April 30; 1929 5 SueetsSheet 3 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT r. BEMIS, or nnwToN, mAsSAcHUSETTS; .assrenon Tonnmrs INDUSTRIES, IN- CORPORATE), or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE BUILDING FRAME Application filed April 30,, 1929, Serial No. 359,209, and in GreatBritain March 22, 1929.

formed of a plurality of elongatestructural elements that may be so combined and arranged as to facilitate the assembly of the structural framework and the convenient attachment of the adjoining parts and subsequent finish thereto. The preferred form of girts, posts, studs, etc. with parallel flanges defining the outer faces of the-structural wall permits the metal frame members effectively to receive the imposed loads and strains and facilitates the application of layers of finishing material such as panels, stucco, plaster, sheathing, etc.

This arrangement particularly lends itself to the use of structural members formed of standardized dimensions, for example, as de scribed in my copending application, No. 280,226, filed May 24:, 1928, with means to engage fastening or other building parts located at modular distances; accordingly, the frame members may be manufactured in quantities in an establishment particularly adapted for this purpose and may be rapidly assembled in situ without requiring a high degree of skill or particular accuracy upon the part of the workman erecting the framework. 7

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken plar. View of a portion of a framework of a building constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are sections on lines 2-2, 33, 4-4 and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a corresponding section showing a different form of stud;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the connection between the structural frame and the rafters;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view showing one manner of incorporating a stud in framework of this-character;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View showing columnar units utilized in connection with a frame of this character; and

Fig. 10 is a-- perspective detail of an optional form of girt member.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the base, footing, o'r foundation upon which a building is to be constructed. In accordance with thisinvention, the metal framework may be either erected upon the footing itself and the foundation be poured about the metal framework to afford a metal reinforced foundation, for example, as described in my copendin application, No. 342,996, filed February 2%, 1929, or the foundation may first be poured or otherwise constructed, and the metal framework be erected above the same. members 2 which are directly mounted upon the base 1,- each comprise a web plate 4, and structural elements 3 secured to the upper face of the plate at either side thereof by welding, or the like, the elements 3, as shown, may preferably be separate angles. The sill is provided with a plurality of intermediate longitudinally disposed openings 6, and may be secured in place by pouring of cementitious material over these openings so that The sill the sill is firmly secured to the base as the disposed at the ends of the-same as well as ordinarily at one or two points therebetween. The channels preferably project beyond the ends of the angles to interfit with the upstanding flanges 5 upon the sill members 2 and to engage corresponding portions of the girts at the upper ends of the studs, while the ends of the angles 12 engage the edges of the flanges of the angles 3. Each leg of a channel 14 is provided with a suitable opening that is adapted to register with one of the openings 17 which are disposed at standardized intervals upon the upstanding flanges of the angles 3 of the girts. Suitable fastening means, such as bolts 19, may be utilized to secure the studs to the sills.

The posts which occur at the intersections or corners of walls .preferably are built up of a plurality of stud members of the type described above; these elements are arranged at right angles to each other with their flanges aligned with flanges of the sills and girts of the intersecting walls, as shown in Fig. 1, and are connected to each other by angles 24 or the equivalent. Accordingly, the post 20 at a corner formed by two walls is built up of two stud members, the post 21 at the meeting point of three walls is made up of three stud members, while the post 22 which interconnects four walls is formed of four stud members.

Girts 26 may be formed of two pairs of angles 3 similar to the corresponding por tions-of the sill members, these angles being located, however, both above and below an intermediate web plate 28 which is provided with. central longitudinally disposed openings 29, and which may project outwardly beyond one or both sides of the framework to form a ledge or ledges 30 in order to support floor joists or the like upon one or both sides of the wall, if desired. Girts 26 are connected to the studs and posts by means of channels 14 and fastenings 19 in the same manner as described with reference to the sill elements, the angles 3 of the girt being provided with modularly spaced openings 17 similar to those in the angles 3 of the sill elements. The outstanding flanges 30 of the girt elements are provided with openings 31 which are spaced at modular distances, and receive fastening elements 33 such as drive screws toengage'the floor joists 35 or the like supported thereby; the ends of these flanges are preferably beveled, as designated by numeral 40, to facilitate assembly. Preferably the girts for the outer walls are all provided with inwardly extending flanges 30 so that the floor joists may run in either direction as desired.

Fig. 2 illustrates a girt 26 having ledges 30 extending at each side of the girt to engage joists 35 when the girt supports floors at each side of the wall in which it is located.

Fig. 3 shows more particularly a girt of this character which is provided with one ledge 30 to support joists 35 at one side of the wall; while Fig. 4 shows a girt of the type which is used with non-load bearing. walls, for examplefwalls parallel to the floor joists.

It is evident that this metal framework may be continued upwardlyfor succeeding stories, the posts and studs for the same being connected to the upper pair of angles of the girts for the first story in the same manner that the studs and posts were connected to the sill members.

Fig. 7 shows a girt 126 which may be used to permit the connection of rafters to the vertical wall. For this purpose, the girt 126 is provided with a single pair of angles 3 which are secured to the upright members of the framework in the same manner as previously discussed, while a web plate above the angles affords, ifdesired, an inwardly projecting ledge 30.

A wooden plate 138 may be disposed upon the girt 126 being secured thereto by screws 33 projecting from the ledge 30. Rafters 70 may be provided with notches 137 engaging the plate 138, while the joists 135 may also be riveted to engage the latter. Preferably the rafters and joists may be disposed in juxtaposition and connected by fastening elements 140 in the conventional manner.

The openings 29 in the girts permit the pouring of cementitious material into spaces in the walls as finally formed, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, a girt of the type illustrated herein may be combined with wall units 36 of the character '"disclosed in my pending United States application, Serial No. 72,675, filed December 2, 1925, these units being arranged to afford parallel vertically disposed spaces 37 which are adapted to register with the openings 29 in the girt to permitthe pouring of concrete 41into the channel formed between the angles upon the upper portion of the girt with integral extensions 42 of this concrete located within the spaces 37 to provide vertical reinforcements for the wall.

Fig. 6 shows one manner in which wooden ,studs 10 may be incorporated in a metal framework of the character disclosed herewith, these studs receiving substantially horizontal screws or fastening elements 50 which pass through the openings 17 in the sill members and in the lower pair of angles in the girts 26. It is obvious that any suitable lateral bracing may be applied to a frame of this 4 character if desired.

Fig. 10 shows a slightly difli'erent type of girt member which is formed of a pair of channels 65 having their bight portions welded or otherwise secured to an intermediate web plate 28 and affording intermediate open ings 29" for pouring concrete or the like. It is obvious that openings 17 a and 31 may be provided in the outstanding flanges of the channels and web plate respectively for connection with the frame elements of intersecting walls.

As explained more in detail in my 00 ending application, Serial No. 280,226, file May 24, 1928, the elongate frame members such as the girts and sills preferably may be provided in standardized lengths-which differ from each other by the modular dimension, (or by a multiple of the same) i. e., by the width of these frame members as defined by the distance between their parallel flan es. Accordingly a building of any desired 3011 plan may be constructed of the standardized frame members without necessity of cutting the same to special lengths. Thus, for example, the number of inner walls between dif-' ferent portions of opposite outside walls may differ since the portions of such inner walls which are interposed between the ends of horizontal frame members have a thickness or depth equalling the differences I between lengths of the horizontal frame members. Openings 17, 29 and 31 are all spaced at the same modular intervals from each other or at multiples of the same, these modular intervals ordinarily corresponding to the width of the structural framework as defined by the outer faces of the angles 3 and 12. This arrangement permits the rapid assembly of the parts in situ and proper locating and rapid connection of the secondary frame elements such as studs, joists or rafters which may also be of standardized lengths, and which are readily disposed at standardized distances from each other.

I claim:

1. A building construction comprising a horizontal set of frame members, a vertical set of frame members including posts at wall intersections and studs between the posts, the posts having parallel flanges projecting outwardly in the direction of each intersecting wall, the horizontal frame members having flanges substantially in the planes of the flanges of the posts, the flanges of one of said sets of'frame members terminating substantially at the edges of flanges of the other set of frame members, and sheet metal connecting elements disposed between the adjoining ortions of the flanges of said members and ing secured in 'interfitting engagement therewith.

2. A building construction comprising horizontal frame members, certain of said members each including a web plate, a pair of angles having legs in aligned engagement with a face of the late, and their other legs disposed in paralle to providing flanges, and vertical frame members connected to said flanges, the web plates of the frame members projecting be yond the angle to comprise a ledge, said ledge having openings providin connec tions with horizontal frame mem ers, said of a modular dimension determined by the width of the frame member between the 11 flpara el anges ism at right angles thereopenings being spaced at integral multiples stud members, girts comprisingawe plate and a pair of angles having legs in allgned' engagement with a face of the ate and their other legs projecting in paral elism at right angles thereto providing flanges, one of the longitudinal edges of the web plate pro ecting beyond the angles to provide a ledge, connecting elements enga 11 said flanges and the stud members, an joists supported a by and secured to the ledges ofsaid girts.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 25th day of A ril 1929.

ALBERT F. BEMIS, 

